The Turning of the Tides: The 152nd Hunger Games
by Saltey
Summary: The games are back for another year, alliances will be formed, friends will betray friends, blood will be spilled and that's just within the walls of the Capitol itself. It's the year of the 152nd games and only the strong will survive. *Closed*
1. Prologue - The Past

_The games are back for another year and despite ex-Head Gamemakers Syrio Flowers best efforts he is no longer in charge, ex-host of the games Nina Ricci is looking to make Syrio pay for costing her everything and the president watching them both intently waiting for that one wrong move. Meanwhile in District Three there are brilliant minds at work and Twelve's only surviving victor has a point to prove. It's the year of the 152nd games and once again only one is going to survive. *Open – details at end of prologue*_

**Amethyst Swift Victor of the 151****st**** Hunger Games' POV:**

There's is a soft tap on my door "Amethyst" my mother says meekly "I made you some lunch"

"Coming" I respond, leaving my writing on my desk. I'd decided to take up writing as a talent for the capitol as it involved not being on camera. I could just send off a few magazine articles and short stories a month and they'd be fought over like the last chicken at the butchers by the capitol presses. Of course I was also fitting it in-between working with Nero for his gyms, training at the centre and the odd capitol appearance of course. They sure didn't like their victors getting bored in Two.

Walking through the living area with its stiff couches and portraits of our dear president I spot my father watching the television.

"Please say you're not watching it again" I say, Dad had taken to watching my games at every possible chance recently as if he somehow needed to connect with me through it. I mean if I'd died out there, sure I'd have wanted him to remember me as best he could but I was stood right here.

"No" he says "It's about Primrose Everdeen, an expose on her life and secrets."

"Ooo" I say joining him "Anything good?"

"Well it seems like old Rory Hawthorne wasn't her only love" he says "They've found some old diaries in the Capitol with some very interesting stories about her time there"

I chuckle as I listen to the intensely interested narrator tell us of how dear Primrose Everdeen used to lie with every man in both District Twelve and the capitol, sprinkling the tale with sound bites from various capitol citizens who remain shaded in darkness during their interviews.

After a few minutes of this I grow bored and stand up as I walk in to the kitchen I see that my mom has indeed prepared lunch and three jacket potatoes sit waiting for us, still steaming with heat.

"Mmm these look good" I say as I help myself along with a generous handful of cheese. Mom smiles and takes the smallest potato from the plate for herself. It's been strange since my victory how she's acted around me, all shy and nervous. Before she'd be like Dad celebrating every moment of every games like she herself were there and now she acts as if I'm some kinds of monster to be feared. I suppose I am, her little girl gone off to murder and here we are.

It's cruel but sometimes I wish her and Dad still lived out by their mine in that large house that they've now given to Mal my older brother. He and his wife Nyke seem very settled in there while, Lucy lives with her boyfriend Ciarn in one of the houses meant for the workers of Dads mines a short distance away. While my siblings are living their own lives however I feel stuck in this large but sparse home designed for a victor.

I shake the stupid thoughts from my head and stroll back into the living room with my plate of food rejoining my dad on the couch. The program on Primrose seems to have ended and they're now re-showing the interview between the new head Gamemaker Otho and Marc about how Othello plans to revitalise the games starting with the reintroduction of alliances.

"A bold move so quickly after the rule was first put into place" Marc says

Otho who seems more relaxed in the spotlight than Syrio ever did simply smiles "Well as much as we all loved Amethyst and her lone wolf style sometimes it's just brilliant to see tributes interact, working together and best of all betraying each other" he and Marc laugh as does my father.

"I like this Otho" he says "I can see him giving us a good show next year. Though I wish you'd tell me who we'll be seeing in the arena"

"You know I can't" I tell him "Even if we had made our decision yet I'd have to keep it quiet until the reaping in front of the whole district"

"I know that" he says standing up and heading toward the kitchen "Just make sure you pick some good ones okay."

"Of course" I respond as he disappears. I blur out the TV as I think about the short list sat on Blaze's desk back at the training centre, he, Nero and I have been going over the list daily whittling it down to the final lucky two. My friends who will still be eligible have been pestering me every time I see them at training to get them a spot but every time Blaze asks for my input on them I just seem to shrug and suggest another name of someone who I haven't known since childhood. It's not the District Two attitude I know but I can't help it, my need to protect them from the games is too strong.

**Nina Ricci – ex-host of the Hunger Games POV:**

"Nina" smiles Afrika as I stroll into her salon "I haven't seen you all week my dear have you been ill?"

I shake my head "just busy" I reply thinking of the days spent laying in my bed, watching endless repeats of my favourite interviews. Re-living every moment I'd spent on that stage surrounded by the young and doomed tributes, every re-watch, every memory brining me closer to that feeling of anger that isn't very civilised.

I sit down and without a word Afrika gets to work trimming and styling my hair after a minute or two of silence she finally says what she's probably been thinking since I walked in "I was so sad to hear of your retirement from the games"

"It was just the right time" I reply coldly

"So what are you doing now?"

"I'm in talks to be a roaming reporter" I lie "visiting the districts, following the victory tour that kind of thing"

"Sounds interesting" Afrika says, not really meaning it "Do you want an new colour for the interview?"

"I'm thinking black" I respond

"A bold colour" she says "It'll take a while to strip out once it's set you know. Maybe a wig instead?"

"No thanks; I need some more stability" I say "can you cut a little more off too and straighten it?"

"Sure thing" she says as she gets to work cutting my hair shorter and changing my style completely.

As she finishes I look at my almost unrecognisable self in the mirror, _this should stop them staring_ I think to myself as I empty a bit more of my dwindling bank account with a swipe of my debit card.

**Syrio Flowers Ex-Head Gamemakers POV:**

"You cancel my rule change, my one lasting legacy in the games and then you have the cheek to come here and ask for my help" I rage as Otho lays on my white leather couch grinning at me.

"The alliance thing was crap anyway Syrio" he responds "what I have planned will keep both our names in the history books for a long time to come"

_A/N: Hello all, a new SYOT for you to submit to and enjoy. It'll be a sequel to Reaping Day Promises and Standing Alone and will be continuing the plot threads from those stories if you want to read them. I'm doing submissions a little different this time so just PM me a District and Gender and I'll send you a form and maybe some little nugget of information I want added to the tribute in order to help my overall storyline working. Also I'm gonna say now I'm not gonna accept any tributes who are related to other victors as I've had too many of them die in the last two stories._


	2. Preparations for the future

**President Rosa Snows POV:**

My migraine had been growing for an hour now as I'd listened to one of my advisors whiter on about the latest innovations in grain. Oh how'd I'd love to rip out his boring tongue I think as he continues to go on and on. Of course he's done nothing wrong yet so it wouldn't be proper maybe I could have my secret service follow him, everyone has something to hide in the capitol.

"So you see Madam President that's all we need to do to increase the yield of grain out in Nine" he finishes with a wave of his arms for effect.

"Yes yes very good" I respond agreeing to whatever he was asking "Has anyone one else got anything to say?" I ask.

There is a moment of silence and some shaken heads "Brilliant" I announce standing up.

"There's some Games business Madam" says Otho White from the back of the room, he stands and bows. I sit down again and frown at him.

"Can you be quick about it?" I say "I gave you the job because I thought I wouldn't get pestered by you every five minutes Otho." I rub my forehead as I speak; I think a massage might be needed once this nonsense is over.

He smiles, a more confident smile than Syrio ever had but an unnerving one none the less "I would just simply like to announce that the games are on track and the arena is nearly complete."

"How much will it cost this year Otho?" asks one of my financial advisors.

"More than last year but less than the quell" he responds with a smile and there is a slight chuckle around the table "I have a tropical theme lined up this year, beaches and islands and the like"

"Better get my money on District Four then" adds another voice to a smattering of laughter.

"Excellent" I say standing up again "Then we're adjourned for the week" the rest of the room stands to join me and bows as I leave. I'm followed quickly by Cyan and her clip board; she follows me to my quarters and then into my private room.

"What's next then" I sigh, there always seems to be something I need to do.

"Your weekly meeting with The Head Peacekeeper Miss Snow" she smiles, I perk up before composing myself.

"So soon" I reply calmly "is he waiting for me now?"

"I believe his is Madam President"

"Then don't just stand there" I bark "fetch him!"

Cyan squeaks and jumps to attention before disappearing out of my door; I make my way over to the mirror placed above the fireplace and quickly fix my hair before I hear the familiarly strong knock on the door.

"Enter" I call straightening up and putting on my most seductive smile.

"Madam President" he says with a bow.

"I've been looking forward to your visit all week" I smile "I never get any time to myself"

He steps over and caresses my cheek I reach up and stroke his muscular arm, wanting him completely to myself. He closes his eyes and composes himself "Before that I'm afraid I have some news for you" I sink a little in the pit of my stomach and move over to my couch where I make myself comfortable.

"Be quick about it then" I sigh

"My men report that Nina Ricci was seen entering Afrika's Salon on West Street"

"So she's getting her hair done"

"It's the first time she's left the house in days and I believe it to be the place where she discovered the criminal we had in the games two years ago."

"The one Syrio killed with the snakes"

"Yes"

"hmm interesting" I ponder this information "Who is this Afrika?"

"She was born Nox Coast in the Silk sector but changed her name at age 16, trained as a hairdresser and has her own business. She's since managed to move up to Opal but there's nothing too extraordinary in her history."

"Keep an eye on her" I say "I want to know if she just lucked into that information or not"

"Yes Madam" he nods

"Now will you make vigorous love to me?" I ask

"Of course Madam President" he smiles as he climbs on top of me and entwines his strong lips with my own.

**Amethyst Swift's POV:**

Yet again I seem to be spending my afternoon sat in Blaze's office at the training centre; I can hear birds chirping outside and the noise of the trainees arriving for their afternoon lessons. I'm teaching a hand-to-hand combat class to a group of ten year olds later and I's much rather be running around the track preparing myself for the inevitable questions and giggles than sat here.

"Amethyst do you have any more input to give" Blaze barks "Or are you going to stare out the window a bit longer"

"Sorry sir" I say straightening up "how about Olivia Visious?" I suggest picking a name almost at random from Blaze's list.

"Age seventeen, she's good with the throwing knives but does have some concentration issues" Nero mutters under her breath as I sag back down again and try and force my eyes away from the window.

"I once had her and Sadie Evans running laps as they seemed to find hand-to-hand combat hilarious" Blaze adds "But she does have a smart mind, she could be useful as a strategist if we pick a less intelligent male again" he glances over a Nero probably meaning to insinuate something about either his son or Titus.

"I've been training her younger brother Karson" I tell them "Now there's a smart kid, brutal too but knows when to turn it off."

"How old is he?" Nero asks

"Fourteen"

"Still too young" Blaze says "But I'll keep an eye on him, maybe in a few years time."

"Olivia then?" Says Nero "I'd like to put her in, think she could have it in her"

"We'll move her to the reserves for now" Blaze decides, "Once we've discussed the others like Magaline Mason perhaps?"

I roll my eyes as Nero guffaws loudly "she's injured and weak" he cries

"She may be scarred but she's not weak" Blaze counters "I've seen her take down another trainee twice her size."

"She's unpredictable" I add "and withdrawn from the other trainees, I remember her from training one wrong look and she'll bash your face in"

"Not a bad quality to have in the games" Nero laughs "But I don't think she will work out there in the Capitol they can be shallow"

Blaze nods as he strikes her name from the list "She's only seventeen anyway" he adds "I may think about her again next year" _good_ I think _let someone else deal with her temper_,

"Tita Peters?" asks Nero "she's an excellent swordsman and her climbing skills are impressive"

"Her mother is ill" Blaze says "I wouldn't like to take her away from her family now. Natta Waters perhaps?"

"She's a bitch" I say "She'll never be able to keep the alliance together, the others will hate her."

"My mind keeps going back to Olivia" says Nero, Blaze nods and circles her name without asking me again. In that moment my fate is sealed as is Olivia's, the two of us are going to the Capitol together how exciting yet terrifying that prospect is. The say first time mentors never bring home a victor but it's been done if the mentor is popular enough and I'm pretty sure I am.

"Boys then" Blaze says "We really only have three worthwhile I'd say Vespasian Cairne, Cleon North and Cassius Rhodes"

"I don't really think Cleon is keen" I say "I overheard Vespasian telling him he'd take his place if he was asked and Cleon was thanking him"

"If we send in Vespasian and Olivia the two wouldn't get the job done" Nero proclaims "They'd probably blotch up the career pack day one. We need Cleon for his drive and enthusiasm."

"Cassius has the drive too and the confidence to win over the crowds" Blaze responds "He reminds me of Amethyst in many ways"

I smile at the compliment as Nero frowns "I'd quite like to drag Cleon up to that stage myself, what does he mean by not wanting to go into the games, he's a trainee is he not?"

"No-one should have to fight in the games if they don't want to" I say "isn't that one of the luxuries we have here in Two?"

Nero frowns at me but smiles after a moment "I suppose" he says "But he'll regret not volunteering once he settles into life peacekeeping in some backwards swamp like Eleven."

"Cassius and Olivia then" says Blaze circling the names again and nodding his head "I'll call them up to my office after class today and give them the good news myself"

**Roman Pike's POV:**

The loud bang on the front door shocks my Mother awake and disturbs me from my book "Roman" Mother cries "Oh Roman they're here for you, to take you back to the games oh my baby"

"Mama" I say dropping my book and running over to her chair to comfort her "I'm not going anywhere" I say holding her hand, the door shakes again, "I'm going to stay right here Mama" I stand up to go to the door but she holds onto my hand tightly.

"Don't let them take you Roman" she cries "Don't let them do it you hear me?"

"I promise Mama" I say as she slowly releases my hand, I inwardly curse the person who is still hammering on my door as I walk over to it, shaking the numbness caused by my several hours of reading from my leg.

I swing the door open to see Marena stood there her face pink with rage and her fist half raised to knock on my door again.

"What do you want" I ask angrily "You disturbed my Mother you know how shaken she gets when she's scared."

"I'm sorry Roman but I just couldn't take it anymore"

"Take what?"

"The thought of having to suffer through Salton for another year Finn just told me it'll be the two of us mentoring again, the man's useless, he drinks, barely gets us a single sponsor and I know for a fact he slept through Troy's death last year"

"How could you possibly know that" I respond, from what she told me at the de-brief I reluctantly went to after the games she was down in the monitor room while he was in the suites when Troy died.

"Because he's a lazy drunk" she spits "I can't deal with him again. I have two good kids this year you know."

"What do you want me to do about it?" I groan I already know where this is going.

"Mentor with me, just this one year. I have a good feeling about the girl I've picked for the arena, she's ready to go in and give us one more slice of glory. I think I know who the male will be too; he's been talking of volunteering for weeks now, two volunteers from Four it's been so long Roman."

"Why not take Nemo then or one of the older three." I argue back though she is tempting me, it's been so long since we had two volunteers, this could be the rebirth of Four and I could be there.

"Not those drunks and Nemo has no knowledge of fighting skills or interest in mentoring, you were my Mentor Roman, you taught me to fight and you helped me win, let's do it together"

"Who are these tributes then?" I ask and she smiles, she knows I'm only asking because she's winning me over. She tells me their names and I don't recognise the Female name but the Male oh that name I do know and helping him win the games now that would be an honour beyond anything else, also it would anger a certain someone beyond a doubt.

"I'm in" I say.

_ A/N: I hope you liked that second bit people who sent me D2 tributes, I was running though them in my head and decided I was having the exact same thoughts as Amethyst and co would be. _

_Also turning down tributes was really hard so I hope you weren't all too mad with me. _

_I'm still looking for more tributes to fill in my gaps, I'm allowing a maximum of 2 tributes each and need Both from 3, 9 and 11 as well as the Male from 10 and Females from 8 and 12. Just send me a PM with the (Max 2) places you're interested in and I'll send you the form._


	3. D1 Reapings - Family Ties

**District One's Cliona Irvette's POV:**

"So we have therefore decided that the two of you would be perfect as our Volunteers this year" Iunia Blanc smiles as she completes her little speech.

"Both of us?" asks Hellios as I simultaneously ask who are mentors will be.

"You are our best" Ionia repeats from earlier in her speech "and I have asked Victoria and Mace to mentor"

Two young victors I think, they will be popular with the capitol but neither of them have brought someone home before. Iunia dismisses us and we march out into the corridor, it isn't till we are almost back at the dorms before either of us talk again.

"I can't lose you" Hellios says "We promised we'd stick together through thick and thin right and only one of us can come home" he speaks quietly as to not disturb anyone inside the dorm who may be waiting for us.

"You think too much" I respond "this is a great honour and anyway we both knew what we had would never last. This will just be a more permanent end for one of us." He grits his teeth in the way that he often does when he's holding in his anger. It's a skill I haven't figured yet how to hold in the rage that sometimes consumes me.

"But Clio I..." he begins but never finishes as the dorm room door swings open and we're greeted by a familiar high pitched scream.

"Congratulations you guys" Ceraine screams as she grips me in a hug and pulls me through the door of our small dorm. Not many kids choose to live at the centre instead choosing to commute in every day but for the few of us who were either born too far out or had the choice between here or the community home then it's certainly the best option. I met Ceraine the day me, my siblings and my cousin Hellios arrived at the centre, ten years ago, newly abandoned by our family. It's a day I think about often and the cries of abandonment from my little baby siblings fuel me as I learned to fight.

"Tell me everything Iunia said" she asks, she grips onto my hand and pulls me into our small two bed dorm.

"Just that we are going into the games" I say with a chuckle "are you terribly jealous?"

"Ha you know me" she laughs "Green with envy" she jerks her head backwards and I follow her gesture to the far side of the room where I see two sets of young eyes staring at me.

"Are you really doing this?" asks my young brother Clinch he stands hand in hand with his twin sister Fabia as the two of them stare at us intently.

"I'm doing this" I say nodding my head as Hellios steps into the room grabs my hand.

"We're doing this" he says.

"But one of you will die" Clinch says as if he's only just figuring this out.

"But the other one" I say "the other one will win the games and get both of you out of here and into victors village" I smile at the thought, the prospect of getting my siblings out of this drab centre and into a real house. The feeling I'd have showering them with riches and love and how I could slam my large front door in my parent's faces when they inevitably come to beg my forgiveness.

"Shouldn't you two be at training anyway" Ceraine says "go on shoo away from here or I'll tell Bastion you were in the wrong dorm room."

"You wouldn't" Fabia says "we're here like every day and you've never said a word"

"Shoo!" she barks again and reluctantly my siblings disappear out of the door as they round the corner her smile fades and she looks at us intently "You two better figure this out" she says "Only one of you can come home and you need to be aware of that in there"

**District One's Hellios Baucch's POV:**

Cliona's eyes seem to light on fire as Ceraine reminds her yet again that only one of us can win and by both going in we we're ruining a good thing.

"What are you trying to say" she snaps eventually "Do you want my place Ceraine because you can't have it"

"Feck no" Ceraine sighs "I just want to be able to move out of this dorm room and get a decent job training like Tacon. I just want you two to understand how big this choice will be"

"What choice?" asks Cliona as I slowly come to understand.

"We'll have to choose which of us lives won't we?" I say

"Bingo" cries Ceraine "You two will be the best in there no doubt and once the others are disposed of then you'll be the final two. You both want to win but only one of you will, how will you choose?"

Cliona storms to the other side of the room and slumps down on her bed arms crossed "why do you have to ruin such a good thing" she snaps.

"I'm just being a realist" Ceraine snaps back "I'm sorry if I ruined your good mood."

I watch as Cliona's face scrunches up and begins to turn a deep shade of red, I turn to Ceraine "Go" I hiss.

"Fuck off it's my room" she replies, I finally snap and reach out griping hold of her shirt and shoving her towards the door in a brisk manner.

"Go" I shout "leave us alone"

"Fuck both of you" she hisses as she storms off. I don't watch her leave only slam the door shut behind her and look over to Cliona.

"Are you okay?" I ask her. She's breathing heavily controlling her anger the only way she knows and the way I taught her to by counting silently to twenty. I walk around to face her a kneel in front of her watching her move her lips as she scrunches her eyes closed and mouths 'twenty'

She opens her eyes slowly and looks at me "the counting works" she says "thank you for getting rid of Raine I would have hurt her otherwise. Why did she have to ruin our moment like that, do you think she really is jealous?"

"Probably" I reply "We've both heard her talking of the glory the games would bring her backwoods family"

Cliona smiles as she grips onto my hands and looks into my eyes "It's always been you and me hasn't it?" she says "All these years you're the only one I've been able to trust, I'm glad you're going into the arena with me I'll need your help in there" I look into her eyes and it hits me, she thinks she's going to win this. She thinks I'll lie down and give my life so she can return home to her siblings and show her parents how wrong they were to dispose of her those ten years ago. As much as I want that for her my need for self preservation will be to strong in there I know, I just hope I don't have to kill her myself.

**The Day of the Reaping – Head Gamemaker Otho White's POV:**

I open up my tablet and set up my desk just right as I switch the large screen that overlooks my office to the reapings, from here I can watch what the Capitol and Districts can see. Beside me three more displays show other information; detailed stats on the tributes imported moments after their reaping from the census data, a feed showing the reaping stage of the relevant district so I can see things that we may have to edit out of the live broadcast. The final screen is a personal favourite of mine, Gamemakers have had it at their disposal for a while now but I know Syrio never utilised it like he should, he always told me he didn't see the point. I on the other hand intended to fully enjoy watching the tributes say farewell to their family and friends, those precious last minutes will show me who the tributes truly are before the mask come on as they speed towards the capitol on the train.

District One springs onto screen as I settle down into my desk chair, I enjoy watching Livilla Mount work the receptive crowd as the treaty of treason has finished being read. As usual they are in a party spirit and as usual I spot two young volunteers stood waiting at the base of the stairs, but as usual a child has to be reaped and Livilla is more than happy to do that for us.

"Ruby Marsden" she calls and a tall sixteen year old steps out of the crowd and calmly walks up to the stage.

"Would you like to be replaced?" asks Livilla

"Yes please" replies Ruby "I'm not worthy of this honour" she looks at the floor all bashful and I chuckle, she sure knows her protocol this one.

"I volunteer as tribute" The call comes loud and clear from the bottom of the stairs and the crowd cheer wildly as a tall young woman steps up and replaces Ruby with a shake of the hand.

"You're name my dear?" asks Livilla

"Cliona Irvette" responds the girl and moments later one of my smaller screen updates to tell me that she was raised in the boarding house of the training centre with two younger siblings and a cousin.

"Boys then" smiles Livilla as she draws another name "Trenton Keynes"

A small younger boy walks to the stage, he keeps a steady pace but appears to be shaking a little as he walks, Livilla welcomes him to the stage and again asks him if he would like to be replaced. The boy doesn't speak only nods and Livilla chuckles "I'm going to need something more audible from you young man"

"yes please!" the boy cries suddenly barely containing his fear.

"I volunteer as tribute" cries a male voice, a strong young man with similar colouring and looks to the girl steps on stage steps up and replaces Trenton who runs back into the crowd.

"Your name?" asks Livilla

"Hellios Baucch" responds the boy as my screen informs me that he is Cliona's cousin and grew up alongside her.

The two tributes wave to the crowd and as the main feed cuts to the presenters in the studio I flick my eyes to my other screen to watch the two of them enter separate rooms to say their farewells. I watch as two young children first quickly visit Hellios and then Cliona for a little longer, these must be the siblings I decide. An older couple of teens enter next and both spend the same amount of time with the two tributes, my eyes are just turning back to the main feed where the mayor of District Two was stepping onto stage when I spot an older man entering the room of the female tribute.

This doesn't seem to go down well at all and moments later there is a broken chair and Cliona is yelling for someone to take the man away.

Peacekeepers come and drag the man away despite his protests and I send Livilla a quick text asking who he was.

'Her father ;)' comes the almost instant response.

_AN: and we're off, thanks for everyone for sending me tributes I hope you enjoy the reapings and I'll try to keep to a schedule of posting one chapter a week from now on._

_Thanks to LokiThisIsMadness for both the D1 tributes I loved the relationship you gave them and I'm looking forward to exploring it further in the Capitol and arena. _


	4. D2 Reapings - Deployment of the Tributes

**District Two's Cassius Rhode's POV:**

"Step to it trainees" yells the commanding voice of Boaz as we march in circles around the main hall of the training centre. There are ten of us in total, the finest of this year's graduating class. Eight of us will be fast tracked to command posts in the peacekeeping forces, but the others? The other two will enter the games and be given the chance to come home victorious as Amethyst did and today's the day we find out who that will be.

We are ordered by Boaz to "Line up" and we do so in a quick and smart fashion, standing at attention we await for the next instruction.

"At ease" Boaz calls and we relax "Now today trainees as you know is a big day for two of you, Amethyst, Nero and Blaze have made their decision and chosen who will enter the games this year." He pauses and I feel myself holding my breath, this is it.

"Cassius Rhodes"

"Yes sir" I salute and step forward, forcing a grin not to spread onto my face.

"Olivia Visious"

"Yes sir" Olivia also steps forward with a salute and I glance over to her quickly, really her? I think there are much better options surely like Tita Peters or even Mad Magaline.

"The two of you are to report to Blaze's office immediately" Boaz says with a sly little smile, I guess he's not allowed to give us the good news himself. Olivia and I scarper out of the room and begin to jog along the corridor leading to Blaze's office.

"I can't believe this is actually happening" Olivia gasps "Lana told me I'd never make tribute only the other week"

"Was that when you and Sadie set up that paint trap in the agility room?" I ask remembering about the disrespectful act the two girls had pulled two weeks ago.

Olivia chuckles "yh that's the one" she say "Panem I was lucky it splattered those ten year olds not Lana herself or I'd have had worse than cleaning duty to pay for it.

"I think it was a very disrespectful act" I reply "A trainee should uphold themselves maturely at all times" I quote our honour code at her.

She laughs again "You are far too serious Cassius" she tells me "Please tell me you'll be more fun in the arena?"

"Maybe you're not going to the arena Visious" I reply, referring to her in the proper manner "Maybe you're just here for another beating for one of your disrespectful pranks"

She laughs again as we reach Blaze's door "I seriously doubt it Rhodes" she says as she knocks sharply on the door, before throwing herself to attention like a good little trainee.

The door swings open before I get a chance to straighten myself up and Blaze stands there looking down on the two of us "In" he orders.

We step carefully into the room and salute our head trainer in the proper manner; he returns the gesture and points towards two seats set up opposite his desk. "Be seated" he orders and we both sit down opposite the great Blaze Layland, I've met him with groups of people before but never in his office and never so close.

"The two of you have been chosen to be our tributes for this year's games" Blaze states, getting straight to the point "We have not come to this decision lightly and expect that the two of you will not disappoint your district."

"We won't disappoint you sir" I respond "It'll be an honour to follow Amethyst out of the arena."

"Of course" blaze responds "now we've had a couple of bad years with our tributes not co-operating fully, so I want you two to be perfect comrades by the time of the games."

"But sir..." Olivia protests.

"No buts" Blaze barks back "I want a united front this year and a strong well organised career pack. I hear District Four have a couple of volunteers too this year so I want you to invite them."

"District Four haven't had a decent volunteer in years" I say "disregarding the quell of course"

"Neither the less, I want the two of you to train together until the games, I want synchronised fighting, I want you to be able to read each other's thoughts in there. Am I clear?"

"Yes Sir." We both respond simultaneously

"Excellent, now return to your training"

Olivia and I stand up and salute before leaving the office, out in the corridor I allow a grin to spread over my face "Mother and Father will be so proud" I tell Olivia "and Victoria will be so happy for me"

"That's the girl who dropped out isn't it" Olivia asks a sly little smile on her face "I heard she got pregnant, is it yours?" she chuckles as we begin to jog towards the training room again.

"That's a horrible lie" I say defending my girlfriend "She just decided to focus on more tactical pursuits."

"Tactical?"

"It's top secret" I respond proudly, even I didn't fully know what she did, only that she worked somewhere dark and deep underground in an abandoned mineshaft. Of course once I brought home a victory from the games we'd both be free to retire and live out our days in the Village.

**District Two's Olivia Visious' POV:**

Cassius smiles, obviously lost in fantasies about his girlfriend, I remembered her a little from our younger days training. A slim, petite blonde girl who was quick to learn in the theory lessons but a little slow on the uptake during physical sessions, I remembered knocking her off the agility course plenty of times, once she even cried.

Cassius and I reach the training hall quickly but our lesson is already over and I peek though the door to watch as Amethyst Swift demonstrates the correct way of holding a rapier sword to an entranced group of younger trainees. I watch her for a moment as Cassius continues down towards the changing room, Amethyst moves gracefully and seems to so sure of every movement she makes, I hope she's as good as a mentor as she seems to be as a trainer.

"Let's go in together" Cassius shouts from a few doors down "Blaze said we should be a team right"

"Lets do this partner" I say with a grin as I run to join him and we burst through into the small common area that separates the male and female changing rooms. The room is filled to the brim with our friends and other training teams who all cheer for us.

I begin to giggle as Sadie rushes from behind a taller boy to grab my shoulders "I can't bloody believe they picked you you utter nutcase" she laughs "Didn't Lana say only the other day?"

"That I would never be chosen, yeah she did" I laugh as we're joined by other trainee's Tita shakes my hand and congratulates me, while others repeat her sentiments I look over to where Cassius maturely shakes hands with Vespasian, Ryder and Nolan his apparent friends. Though by the glare Vespasian is giving him I'd say he really wanted that place in the arena.

Cleon walks over to me "Congratulations" he says offering his hand for me to shake. I refuse it, "Oh come on you can't still be mad at me for telling on you" he sighs "It was one time"

"Be gone with you" Sadie says "the designated volunteer of District Two wants nothing to do with you snitch"

Cleon sinks of dejected and after a polite nod to Cassius is the first to leave the party.

"It should have been me" a voice says from the far side of the room, I know who that is Magaline Amnion aka 'Mad' Magaline or Magma. She glares at me with her half concealed face; she would scare me if I hadn't known her since childhood. Before the accident she was almost normal, a little intense perhaps but we all were when we were younger, trying to outdo each other. But one day it went too far, Magaline had set up a large fire below a rope swing in the large outdoor training area we use and intended to show us all how she could jump over it with ease. We hadn't begged her to stop of course we'd egged her on and when she'd slipped from the rope and landed in the fire no-one had rushed to help. Of course now she hated us all, and the nicknames didn't help, maybe it would be good if she were to enter the games, I think. Then at least she could die and get out of our hair, I decide to put her forward next year when I'll be mentoring.

The small party doesn't last too long, we're all tired and hungry from training and I know Cassius and I will be up early for our intense training sessions. No more school for us, just as much training as our bodies can take for a few weeks. Most people just grab their training kits and leave but I decide to stay for a shower, have a moment to myself.

When I exit the changing room I expect to be alone but a familiar figure waits for me "Vicious" he grins as he wraps me in a hug. Noah has been my best friend since we were babies; we've been causing mischief in our neighbourhood even longer than I've known Sadie, who I met three years into my training.

"I can't believe my little Vicious Liv heading into the games" he says with a grin as we link arms and head out of the centre. He's always called me Vicious since we were toddlers when I once accidently whacked him on the head with a stick trying to re-create a move I'd seen in the games.

"I'm still struggling to come to terms with it myself" I reply "You think my Mom will be proud?"

"I'm sure she will" he gasps "she was the one that put you into training wasn't she"

"Yeah three years early, despite Blaze's protests" I say "ugh how the older kids picked on me"

"Yeah but you showed them" Noah replies with a smile

"I did didn't I?" I say with a smile "That was the first time I think I'd ever drawn blood"

Noah laughs; he always understood my more violent side more so than Sadie despite the fact he never wanted to train. Sadie also trained because he parents forced her too but she never really wanted to enter the games and trainers can tell that sort of thing, no point sending in someone who doesn't want to be there, that's why volunteers are much more likely to win than reaped tributes.

We reach Noah's house first and pause for a moment, "I have something for you" he says, reaching into his pocket he pulls out a small metal band.

"Don't you fucking dare" I shout jumping back from him.

"What oh no.." he laughs "No Vicious I'm not proposing to you."

"Oh" I breathe a breath of relief "then what's the ring for?"

"I had it made for you, I want it to be your token in the games" he says "so you'll remember me as you become rich and famous and then when you come home maybe we can talk about other things." He smiles hopefully.

I laugh and pull him into a hug before taking the simple ring from him looking at it closely I notice the phrase 'invicti animi' was engraved around the edge.

"What does it say?" I ask

"It's Latin" he replies "they love to use it on official documents and pretty things in the capitol. It says 'victorious at heart'"

"I love it" I cry as I wrap my arms around Noah and as we hug and say farewell I can't help but feel a pit of dread deep down that this may all go wrong for me and I'll never see him again.

**Nina Ricci's POV:**

I sigh and throw my head into my hands as Marc tells us that the two strong tributes for District One are cousins, how I'd have loved to interview them. Ask them about their relationship, how they'd work being related in the arena as it was a rare occurrence, bar the quell of course. I'd also love to comment on their reactions to the crowd and share my feelings to the capitol. Marc doesn't have the flair for announcing the tributes as I did I think, he's too robotic, too dull.

"Now to District Two" I mouth as the screen changes to the stoic and serious District Two on the stage stands Tertia next to Nero and Amethyst. I smile as I see Amethyst wave happily to the crowd, I must admit I never saw her as a victor, she was too nervous of herself on stage, I could never see the cameras loving her. The crowd love her now though even as Tertia moves towards the male bowl they are still screaming her name.

"Locke Fairway" Tertia announces and we watch as a tall boy strides from the middle of the crowd. He looks smiles confidently as he asks to be replaced.

"I volunteer as tribute" the call comes from the rabble of older boys jostling for space near the bottom of the stairs and a muscular blonde boy strides confidently onto the stage "Cassius Rhodes" he announces as he shakes Locke's hand.

I like the look of Cassius, confident but not too cocky, strong and handsome, like a good District Two tribute should be how I'd have loved to feel his strong arms as he'd tell me of his ambition to win the games.

Tertia moves to the female bowl "Servilla Mason" she calls and a skinny and dusty little thing steps out of the back of the crowd where the younger children wait. She glances nervously over at the crowd of ready volunteers and they reassure her enough to get her up the stairs.

"I'd like to be replaced please" the girl says before Tertia even has chance to ask.

"I volunteer at tribute" comes the call and a blonde girl steps up beside Servilla on stage and introduces herself as "Olivia Visious"

Olivia kneels down and wraps the little girl in a hug before standing up as Servilla runs back down the stairs.

Tertia orders of the new tributes to "shake hands" and they do so without complaint and a little polite nod. I like both of them I decide as the camera cuts back to Marc in the studio, a little predictable perhaps after two years of exciting tributes from Two but two good stable tributes none the less.

_A/N: Thanks to Flintlightning and Epicness by Liv for Cassius and Olivia. I hope you're enjoying the introductions to these tributes and their reapings. I am making a blog for this story as well and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you once all the reapings are over._


	5. D3 Reapings – Rebels and Recluses

**District Three's Mac Dalton's POV:**

The first death I had ever actually seen was that of Pexey Bones' father on the eve of the last hunger games. I'd seen death in the games before of course and I knew they hung people from time to time in the square but Mr Bones' corpse was the first one I'd seen in the flesh. I'll never forget it as he swung from that rope kicking and chocking till all the life was gone from his bulged out eyes while his tongue hung limp from his mouth.

That was the day I'd first met Huxley, not that I knew his name till much later on; "Disgusting isn't it" the older boy had muttered, probably noticing my shocked face.

"He was a traitor" I reply deadpan "he deserved it"

"You keep thinking that" the boy replies, I span around to see his face and he's already gone.

Two weeks later and the games were over, Pexey and Fuse were dead and our assembly line had a new employee. Bolt had told me to show him the ropes but he seemed pretty confident without my instruction, it was as if he'd seen the new projector plans before the rest of us, he seemed to intuitively know where stuff went. Over lunch I asked him why he was with us grunts when he seemed to be far more intelligent than the rest of us.

"I just know that design" he replied quietly "I knew the designer"

"That was Fuse's last design though" I remember "Did you know him?"

"Yeah I knew him, he was my best friend" the boy had snapped back before staring at the table.

I hadn't really thought much about the effect the games had on people before that day, yeah our tributes nearly always died, yeah the families would of course be devastated but for the rest of us life went on as normal. But here sat in front of me was a still living proof of how much the games and the capitol sucked.

"The games suck bro" I said sympathetically and Battery had laughed not a happy laugh but a cold unforgiving one.

It wasn't till the day the Victory Tour came to town that Battery mentioned Fuse and the games again, we'd stood and cheered for a bubbly and excited Amethyst Swift. After she had gone Battery had took me over to meet Fuse's family.

"Hey I saw you the day they hung Bones" said Huxley looking at me.

"I'm sorry I don't remember..." I begin before recognising his voice.

"I try not to hang around in one place to long after I say certain things" he says with a shrug "Pa says I'll get in trouble is I do" he smiles mischievously.

"It was sick what they did to that family" I blurt out "reaping the daughter and killing the father" I look over to where a woman is talking quietly to Mrs Bones.

"Battery's family are keeping an eye on her aren't you Bat"

"Yea my Mom's over there with her now" he replies and I take another glance at the woman talking to Mrs Bones taking in that its Battery's Mom.

"Say Mac you free this evening?" I'm asked by Huxley

"Yeah" I replied not knowing I was sealing my fate forever.

"Where do you keep disappearing off to at night?" my brother Lynx had asked as his head peeped over his book

"Just out" I reply as I fight into my coat, "what does it matter to you?"

"You're always so secretive" he sighs "mom and dad notice it too you know?"

"Yeah well they're not a nosey as you obviously"

"I'm not asking you to do this lightly" Huxley said "I know it's a big ask and you have every right to say no but we're running out of options here"

"I'll do it Huxley"

It was all these memories and more that flooded back to me the moment I volunteered for the games.

**District Three's Tek Kilo's POV:**

I groan and scratch my head, why wouldn't this stupid radio just work. I'd replaced the busted transmitters with the best ones I could find, cleaned all the muck from the speaker, double then triple checked every wire connection. I poke the tuner and wiggle the amplifier, still nothing. After a moment of thought I look at the large solar battery that was supposed to be powering it and I decide it must have been really bust when I'd pulled it from the dump. Pulling it off and chucking it in my spares pile I rummage around till I find a small and only slightly rusty old fashioned zinc one and crossing my fingers clip it into place.

A loud clang of music blasts through the speakers and into my little attic room and I break into a grin as an excited voice that reminds me of Elvio Bumble our Hunger Games escort bursts into my room. "hey hey boys and girls that was CL with their hit single 'How Many Times?'. Now I think we all know the answer to that one" he laughs manically and I frown, must be a capitol thing, I should probably turn it off now, but I'm intrigued.

"Now we have one more song an old one from the one and only Glitta Darling before I pass over to Felix with the latest Victor gossip. It's 'Red and Gold' up first though, take it away Glitta." I'd heard Red and Gold a thousand times growing up, it's one of the few capitol songs they let us listen too as it's so damn patriotic. Irritated I pull out the battery and can suddenly hear a knocking on my door.

"Tek, Tek" my stepbrother Net is calling though my locked door "what was that noise?" I open my eyes wide and shove some of spare parts over the little radio.

"Nothing" I cry

"Sounded like Bumble" he laughs "come one anyway you're wanted downstairs"

"What for?" I say, I'd done nothing wrong lately had I, for what possible reason father and Cachen would want to see me.

"For dinner" he sighs.

"I'm good" I never eat with my family, I often eat their food but having to sit and be ignored, or worse begin told I should be more like one of Cachen's friends daughters is the opposite of fun.

"It's a good dinner" he says "very special your father bought a whole chicken"

"A whole one!" I exclaim "but why"

"It's a birthday dinner."

"Whose?"

"Mine!" I stand up and throw open my door to my grinning step brother.

"I'm so sorry" I stammer "Happy Birthday I suppose" I say with a small smile, I have an idea turning around I grab the newly working radio "This is for you" I tell him.

"But you've been working on it for months I can't" he protests

"Yeah and now it works and is boring again" I say "please keep it and listen to Bumble all you want"

"Thank you little sis" he says giving me a big hug "come on please save me from having to deal with my mother alone"

I reluctantly agree and after Net leaves the radio in his room we walk downstairs and into the lion's den.

"At last" Cachen cries "my chicken is going cold here"

"Tek was just giving me my birthday present mother" Net says sitting down and digging into the cold chicken I look over to my father deep in one of his business reports and freeze for a moment.

"Sit down you stupid girl" Cachen snaps and I jump into my seat and take a small bread roll from the basket before nibbling on it slowly. "Don't chew with your mouth open Net" his mother scolds "you'll never find a wife eating like a pig"

"A wife" laughs Net "I'm good Mom"

"You're Eighteen now, a man, in a week you'll have your last reaping and then I want to help you find a suitable match"

A week I think, it couldn't only be a week to the reaping, had time really gone that fast this year, no wonder I'd forgotten Net's birthday with that day around the corner. I feel my stomach drop and my appetite for my bread disappears. As I was panicking Net was arguing with his mother "A suitable match" he'd laughed "What is this, the Dark Days?"

"Urtel and I were thinking the Monroe girl" she continues "the red head she's very pretty don't you think?"

"No"

"Urtel back me up here" she says looking over to my father, he looks up from his report "If the boy doesn't like her then leave it Cachen" he says before glancing my way. "Hello Tek didn't see you there my girl, how's school?"

"Alright" I mutter

"And you're friends erm.. erm..." he waves his hand as if he expects me to fill his gaps in knowledge.

"That girl doesn't have any friends except my useless son here" Cachen laughs.

"You should get some friends" my father suggests "Friends can be useful"

"Thanks for that advice father" I mutter as I turn back to my bread roll, deciding that if I was gonna be stuck here I may as well eat something I grab a couple of small pieces of chicken to go with it.

"People would be more likely to talk to you if you did something with your hair" Cachen tells me "move it away from your eyes so your face can be seen. Wear some makeup too, and smile more often."

I scowl "I'm good honest"

"You kids never listen to me" she sighs eating a few small mouthfuls of her food "Urtel did I tell you I ran into Hana at the market today she was sporting a new nail polish, oh it was a beautiful shade of pink straight from One."

"How much?" asks father and then the two of them begin to argue about needing pretty things versus needing money for food and shelter. Eventually I can't take it anymore and leaving only a crumb of my original bread I stand up and leave the table. As expected no-one calls after me and I manage to slide on my shoes and leave the house without any comments from the dinner table.

Breathing in the cool air I enjoy the silence of our street, it's one of the few with proper houses in the district reserved for factory managers like father and their families and miles better than the apartments that fill up the rest of the district. Of course living here means that travelling to anywhere vaguely interesting meant a long walk though un-lit streets, I hated it.

I move quickly keeping my head down not wanting to be seen by any bored peacekeepers that may be patrolling. Footsteps come up behind me so I speed up, but so does my follower, crap, I think as I break into a run.

"Tek" calls Net "please wait for me"

I spin around "Don't creep up on me like that"

"I was barely creeping" he protests "I had to run and I'm full of chicken too"

"You didn't have to follow me"

"Yeah I did, Mom started to talk about the Monroe girl again."

"Oh" we continue to walk in silence.

"Where are we going then?" Net asks eventually

"To the dump" I respond "I just gave away my most recent project so I want to get a new one started."

"Another Bumble radio?"

"No something bigger I think. Something like a computer."

_A/N: Hey guys, here's an early District Three for you to enjoy Tek is by Naomi Tachi and Mac is mine – Mac is the only tribute I've added to the list this time which is cool as you all gave me so many good tributes. As usual I promise he won't win I just need him to kick some storylines into gear. The next chapter may be a bit of a wait as I've started a new job so need to figure writing time into my new schedule._

_Bonus question: 'How Many Times?" answer it correctly and you're tribute will be guaranteed a survival of the bloodbath!_

_Edit: Corrected Net's name from Nut and corrected Cachen's name. _


	6. D4 Reapings – Feelings of Home

_A/N: I've only just realised I never wrote the actual reapings for the D3 tributes so I'm going to put them in with four at the end of this chapter. Opps._

**District Four's Halcyone 'Cy' Morris' POV:**

"Are you really sure about this?" Dorian asks me as we watch the sun set over the sea from the roof of a house.

"I've never been so sure of anything" I reply, he sighs and looks out to sea saying nothing more. Dorian is the second person I've told about my plan to volunteer after Marena and he certainly looks less keen on the idea than she had. I don't think I've ever seen the tough victor smile before but the ends of her mouth defiantly lifted when I told her that I was planning on entering the games this year.

"We haven't had a male volunteer win since Roman Pike" Dorian tells me eventually "Nemo and Salton were reaped."

"So I've been training, I know what I'm doing"

"So did Gunnar" Dorian replies

"Shut up" I snap back standing up on the flat room and judging the gap between this house and the next, the jump seems easy enough so without another word I take a few steps back before flinging myself between the houses. The moment when I'm in the air flying between roofs causes my heart to beat quickly and my mind to clear for a glorious second before I come crashing back to another roof top. I smile and turn around to see Dorian watching me; "Did you see that?" I call, all anger towards my friend gone in an instant.

"My turn" he grins and copies my leap between the houses, making a perfect landing of his own.

"Race you back to the beach" I call looking over the maze of flat roofs and balconies that separate us from the beach.

Dorian doesn't reply just simply starts leaping choosing to take an easy route, I scan the roofs for a moment before deciding not to follow him. Instead I choose a harder jump and a longer route, moving quickly though I fly through the houses.

The race is over quickly and I make the final leap from the fence of a house onto the warm sand before looking up and watching Dorian finish. "I don't know how you do it" he says catching his breath as he shakes his head in astonishment.

"Practice" I say as I smack him on the back with a laugh "and my superior skills obviously"

"Obviously" Dorian laughs as he looks up at the darkening sky "crap I'm gonna miss my curfew if I don't run" he sighs "Mom will throw a fit if I'm late back again to look after the little ones."

"Just tell her to stuff it" I say "Can't Kaylyn look after the babies now she's Twelve?" I scowl in annoyance; Dorian always seems to vanish just as we're having fun leaving me alone as per usual.

"Sorry mate, you know my Mom" he says with a little shrug "see you at school tomorrow?"

"yeah see you" I say as he disappears up a small cobbled street towards home. With a little growl of annoyance I pick up a stone and fling it into the sea, watching as it sinks with a large splash. I don't really want to go home yet but it is getting dark and there isn't much moonlight to see by so I start the short walk along the beach dragging my feet as I go.

Finding home isn't too hard really, it's the brightest house along the beach situated right next to the illuminated justice centre. Getting closer I see that Ruben the man they caught poaching yesterday has finally become unconscious hanging in the stocks. I keep my distance from the peacekeepers guarding him but they still spot me.

"You're out late Morris" one of them calls, it's Aaren one of our longest serving peacekeepers, I've known him since I was a baby he's a good friend of Dad's which therefore means he's probably spying on me for him.

"Just heading home now sir" I smile "Got a bit distracted at training."

Aaren's companion laughs, I recognise him as one of the newer peacekeepers who only moved here from Two about a year ago. He's about twenty years old and has the look of someone who really wished he was allowed to kill people in the Games. "There's no point in that boy" he tells me "kids from Four can't beat those from Two." He laughs loudly.

"Oh be nice to the locals Pontius" Aaren says "You'd better run along now boy or you're Pa will be looking for you."

"Yes Sir" I smile throwing a little salute for good measure.

Arriving at the mayor's mansion which some would say I was lucky enough to call home I slip in through the front door and begin to untie my shoes, keeping an eye out for my family as I do so. I hope that Father is in a meeting and Mother anywhere but here as I'm really not in the mood to deal with them right now. The odds aren't in my favour however and as I slip my shoes into their correct place my father steps out of his study.

"Good you're home" he says "I wanted to talk to you over dinner, where were you?" he asks this question in his usual angry tone as if being anywhere except the exact place he wanted me to be was a grave crime.

"I ate with Dorian at the market" I tell him.

"You should really return home for meals" he says "I could have had dignitaries from the Capitol visiting and they will need to meet you too"

"But you didn't did you" I mutter

"What was that boy!"

"I just mean that you didn't have any dignitaries here did you and even if you did I don't really see why I have to be here!"

"You have to be here boy because I say so!" he rages at me "And I am the master of this house and this District so what I say is final!" he lifts his hand and strikes me across the face, it's a common reaction for when he's tired of arguing with me and I flinch from the pain before straightening up.

"I'm going to my room" I tell him before striding up the stairs, reaching my prison of a room I slam the door and pull the lock into place. Turning to face my mirror I run a finger over the red mark blooming on my cheek, all I can focus on is my anger for my father and what I can do to pay him back for his cruelty.

_The Hunger Games_, three words that kept returning to me as I admire my growing bruise. If I were to win Father could never touch me again, but if I didn't well then I'd be safe from him forever. Dorian would miss me of course and Mother would probably cry but what could it hurt to try?

I turn from the mirror and look out of my window; from here I can see over Ruben and the peacekeepers in the square and out to sea. When I went to the games I'd probably never see the sea again, unless I was lucky enough to have a beach themed arena. Even then I know I'd never get chance to enjoy it, to run with Dorian along the beach to skim stones and climb the cliffs without a care.

Oh who was a kidding, I'm nowhere near brave enough to stand on that stage by choice, sure Marena would be mad but she had her golden girl Lysandra to mentor and would probably be happy to see me die quickly just to spite my father.

I won't do it I decide, I won't volunteer. I'm only fifteen, there's time for my life to improve yet I know there is and the Games will always be there again in one or two years time if it all gets too much.

**District Four's Lysandra Seldin's POV:**

I hold my head up high as Roman's eyes work their way around my body "good physique" he muses "tall too, not overly attractive though, can you fight girl?"

"Yes sir" I nod "Marena has trained me well in hand-to-hand, close range and long range weapons"

"Which is your best?" he asks

"The sword sir"

"A good weapon" he says "I fought with a trident myself, I knew the capitol would enjoy that."

"I know the trident too Sir" I respond "and throwing knives."

"A good range of skills, and you're confident" Roman looks over to Marena and nods "She'll do" he says which I take as a great complement.

"At ease Lysandra" Marena says and I relax my stance

"I'll do you both and my District proud" I tell them

"We sure do need a bit more of that" Roman says "Now what of your male Marena, I'd like to meet him too."

"Cy isn't strong enough" I tell them "You're wasting your time on him"

"I'll be the judge of that" Roman says

"I haven't seen Cy since he told me of his intentions" Marena says "It is possible he changed his mind, he is a young impulsive boy after all"

"Then we shall go on the assumption that there will be a reaped male then" Roman says, "All attention can be given to Lysandra" I smile at the excitement of being the main focus of these two great victors, I'm guaranteed a win with them on my team.

"Head home now Lysandra" Marena tells me "I expect to see you early morning tomorrow, there's no need for you to attend school now"

I salute the pair and head out of the small centre where rounding a corner I spot my brother Gill waiting for me. He matches my step as I storm past him and continue on the route home "I saw Roman and Marena heading over" he tells me "I wanted to check you were okay"

"Why wouldn't I be" I scoff

"Because they might talk you into doing something stupid"

"I'm volunteering for the games Gill, and no they didn't talk me into it. It was my decision"

"But why!" he protests "Is you life worth so little to you?"

"What life is that?" I say "A life stuck on this beach stinking of fish from the cannery every day. I'd rather go out in a bang in the arena than starve to death here"

"You're a fool Sis" he sighs "there's so much to life that you'll miss out on, finding a true love, having children" he goes all droopy eyed and I know he's thinking of his latest girlfriend Thea, she was apparently the one, but then again so were the last three so I'm not holding out much hope for them.

"Watching them suffer the reapings every year, yeah I'm good thanks" I tell him.

"Mom and Dad won't like this" he tells me "They will say you need to focus on your studies and then you'll get a good job."

"Yawn" I reply, as we turn the corner to our own street, looking up at our little white washed house I see Mom stood outside talking to a neighbour and her little boy.

"It'll kill her when you do it" Gill tells me.

"Then she'll celebrate with the rest of you when I win" I tell him "You're not changing my mind Gill, please stop trying."

"Never. I'll never stop trying to save my little sisters life. If you do decide that the games are right then I'll use every penny I can find to keep you alive in there and I'll never give up on you."

I look over to him and see the strength in his face, I understand suddenly why he never volunteered for training when given the chance. He had too much love in him, too much compassion. I it seemed was born without that trait that the rest of my family had, I was more calculating and realistic while they just dreamt and loved their lives away.

I wasn't going to enter the games on a whim or a moment of weakness I knew that, this was not a decision I'd made lightly. I knew it was my role in life to become a tribute, to save the life of the more deserving reaped child and to enter that arena and see what the odds threw at me.

**Head Gamemaker's Otho Whites POV:**

I see nothing of interest in the family rooms of District Two, proud parents congratulate strong tributes and friends boast of their pride while lovers steal a final kiss, all very tragic.

The windy and cold District Three appears next on my screen and I watch as Elvio Bumble reaches for the female tributes first "Tek Kilo" he calls loudly, a petite young girl steps slowly up to the stage, she's keeping her composure as she glances around the crowd that silently watch her.

Stepping up to the stage she looks up at Elvio as if pleading him to change his mind but the excitable escort ruffles her hair and moves onto the second bowl.

"And for the boys" he smiles reaching into the bowl "Symion Error" he calls with a little chuckle at the strange name. Symion is a tall boy aged about seventeen he has scraggly red hair and steps slowly towards stage with a slight limp in his left foot.

"I volunteer as tribute" the call comes out of no-where and the cameras struggle to find where it came from. After a moment a tall blonde boy steps into the centre aisle and looks up at the stage.

"What what" Symion stutters.

"I'm going to enter the games" the boy says again as he passes Symion and makes this way confidently up the stairs. The crowd murmur to one another in shocked tones and the boy confidently introduces himself as Mac Dalton to Elvio who directs him to shake hands with Tek.

The camera cuts to the studio as I watch the tributes enter their respective rooms to say farewell. The girl only has one visitor a slightly older boy, they talk quietly for a while before he leaves her alone with her thoughts. The boy has several groups of visitors, his family come first begging to know why he volunteered, why he wanted to 'throw his life away', he tells them nothing though. The second group are two young men who talk intently with him for a while on survival techniques and how 'not to go out too soon' he thanks them both for helping him and they have a relatively calm goodbye, as the main feed turns over to District Four one more visitor comes to see Mac. The man is older than the other two boys, he seems to be closer to my age, a grandfather perhaps? But there is no love between the two, the man simply shakes Mac's hand and passes him a watch. I make a note to get some detailed information on the watch before reverting my attention to District Four.

Over in Four Roxanna has finished trying to excite the crowd and has stepped over to the first bowl. "Ladies first" she calls as she reaches into it. She removes a slip from deep down after having a little dig and opens it slowly.

"Siana Mitchell" she calls clearly and loudly and a girl steps out from the centre of the crowd, she's a medium height with fair features, curly brown hair and a tanned complexion, I can see her really looking the part in my arena.

"I volunteer as tribute" yet again we seem to have a volunteer, from the front of the crowd a tall muscular girl emerges and steps up to stage before giving a respectful nod to Marena and Roman. _Ah a trainee,_ I think. Didn't think Four had many of them left.

"Lysandra Seldin" she tells Roxanna "I'm ready for the games"

"Excelent" Cries Roxanna, "Let's find you a lucky partner Lysandra"

She steps over to the male bowl and picks a slip from near the top "Halcyone Morris" she calls. With those two words the district seems to descend into chaos, there is a scream from a woman up on stage and the mayor storms forward, as the crowd begin to shout and cheer.

"What is the meaning of this" he cries "Did we not have a deal!?"

Down in the pit of children a blonde boy has stepped forward "Father be calm" he says calmly "I will take my place in the games" he speaks with confidence but I can see his fear in the way he walks with a small shake.

"Nice to see you up here" Lysandra says as she shakes his hand "Isn't fate interesting"

The camera cuts to the studio while I keep my eyes fixed to the live feed where the Mayor hasn't calmed down "Sir I don't want to have to restrain you but I will" calls an older sounding peacekeeper as Roxanna shuffles the pair of tributes into the justice centre.

The interior feeds show family and friends visit the girl while the boy sits alone as his father continues to argue with the capitol officials until the peacekeeper finally has to knock him unconscious.

_A/N2: thanks to __PenMagic__ for Cy and __Infamouskal420__ for Lysandra, hope you liked their introductions. _

_The Answer to the question in the last chapter was 150... why? ... because CL is the roman numeral for 150 and I pictured the band to be formed in the 150__th__ year of the games. Maybe it was a little too hard thinking about it..._


	7. D5 Reapings - Experiments

**District Five's Demi Quinlan's POV:**

Silence seems to surround me at the moment. So much so that even the faint noises of the arguing couple next door seem to fill my room and hurt my ears. Sitting silently on my bed I try to focus on their argument, try to find something to distract myself from this boredom. But they have just digressed to name calling and I don't think even they know how the argument started anymore.

Looking around mine and Christine's sparse little room I try to find something else to distract myself with but it's no use, there's nothing in here except two small draws, hers overflowing with colour and mine neatly closed. I wonder where she is now and instantly hate myself for thinking it; of course where she would be would be better than here. She was probably with friends, a large group of them making noise and having fun. While I sat silently on my bed, terrified of making any loud sounds that may wake Mom from her sleep.

Outside I watch the sun set slowly and wonder if we'll see Dad tonight, he'd been away working at a hydro plant for a week and he was due back yesterday with his much needed pay packet. I know it'll be depleted from the bars and gambling dens he and his colleagues would have found on the long walk home but if there was only a small amount of money left after we'd paid the rent for some fresh vegetables or maybe a slice of meat I could cook for us I'd be happy. Standing slowly up on the cold concrete floor I step over to the window and look down the street watching as people come and go and children play out on the street. As I watch them laugh and play I can't help but feel empty, there was nothing for me here, just a sick mother, an absent father and a twin sister who probably didn't know I exist.

I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to shout something but nothing comes out. Nothing ever comes out, Christine calls me stupid. Says I don't have a thought in my mind and that's why I barely ever talk. She doesn't know I heard her say that of course, it was one evening a couple of years ago when Zoe and I were following her after school, pretending we were tracking her in the Hunger Games.

"Demi!" My Mom's voice splits the silence from downstairs "Come help me to the privy" she calls.

I slip out of my room and walk downstairs to where our front room had been turned into my mother's room after she lost her sight and couldn't use the stairs anymore. I slide the door open slowly and look at her for a moment, taking in how tired and grumpy she looked, how angry her bright purple eyes appeared so I could best judge her mood before making myself known to her. The sleep seemed to have calmed her however as her exotic eyes seem cool and collected for a change. I knew they weren't natural and I'd always remember a moment of a memory when I was a small child with a mother with cool grey eyes that matched my own. I don't know how or when they changed but when they did she did, she lost her sight and her happiness along with it.

"Demi" she calls again moving her head around the room as if she were searching for me in the darkness.

"Here Mom" I reply quietly.

"Help me up" she says and I hold onto her as she moves out of bed and help her slide her feet into her shoes before leading her out of the front room, through the kitchen and into the yard where the privy was attached to the back of the house. I step out into the yard for a moment as I wait for her and look at the state of the place, the trash would need taking to the dump soon, a round trip that would take me the best part of an afternoon and I'd also need to clean the concrete floor and the windows needed a wipe over.

Of course I'd get no help with these chores Christine would ignore any plea for help just as she's been doing her whole life.

"All done sweetie" Mom calls and I let myself in to the privy to help her back to her room. Once she's sat down on her chair I move to pull my hand away from hers but she holds on.

"Thank you darling" she says, looking in the direction she thinks I am "I wouldn't be able to survive without you my baby girl"

"It's okay" I reply "It's why I'm here"

"You've always been so selfless Demi" she says with a smile "You remind me of my mother in that way. I fear your sister has too much of your father and I in her. Selfish through and through that one, just like me."

Mom never really talks this much; especially not to me so I'm flummoxed for words for a moment "You're not selfish Mom" I say eventually "You're ill, so I look after you"

"I made myself this way darling" she sighs "in my vanity I thought I could find another miracle like you and Christine. I was promised beauty beyond compare and I got two useless eyes. Promise me something Demi"

"Anything"

"No matter what they offer you don't take it. It's not worth the price."

"Mom I take the tesserae" I reply "You know that, Christine does too, we need the food for when fathers not home"

"They will offer so much more than food" she says "But don't take them on their word, the capitol; they're all liars and thieves. They took my eyes from me." She begins to cry and I stroke her hand.

As we remain silent in this moment of bonding her sat on her chair and me stood silently beside her, the door flies open and bangs against the wall pulling us from our moment.

"Have you made her cry again, you stupid girl" Father strides into the room his face glowing an angry drunken red and I feel mother let her hand go from mine.

"Falcon" she sighs "it's been so long since I heard your voice"

"I rushed home to you as soon as I could my dear" he lies swooning over Mom, I can smell the beer on him though and see the bags under his eyes that tell me he's probably been up playing cards the last few nights.

"Have you got your wages?" I ask him "I need some things for the kitchen and some thread to fix our clothes."

"Get out of here girl" he shouts

"Only if you give me money to buy us food" I reply "or do you want us to starve next time you go for weeks on end."

Dad growls and pulls an envelope from his back pocket pulling out about half the notes he throws them on the floor "Go buy whatever you want my darling girl" he snarls "and get me something strong to go with it"

I gather up the notes and stuff them in my pockets as I leave the room, leaving our house I step around the corner and take a moment to compose myself. I hate getting into confrontations like that with Father, especially with Mom in the room. She'll remember that for weeks now and even when Father has gone back to working on the hydro plant she'll take out that anger on me. I'm not going to see her that calm and happy for a long time to come.

I make the short walk to the small market place in the centre of our neighbourhood and decide to seek out Bod first to buy a bottle of something for Father.

"You're out late Demi" he says as I take a couple of small bottles from his stand and pass him a couple of notes in return.

"Had to pick up a few things" I reply before wandering away, Bod's a friendly enough guy but I always get the feeling he's talking to my chest not my face and though Christine loves the attention our curvy figure gets from guys I'm not so keen.

After I make a few more careful purchases of thread, salt and preserves from the closing market stalls I make sure to keep a chunk of the money for myself to use over the coming weeks. No point blowing it all in one go.

I head away from the market and make my way slowly back home, really hoping that I've bought enough booze to keep Dad happy for the night.

"Hey isn't that your sister?" I hear a shout from before me, I recognise the voice as belonging to Lumen one of Christine's louder friends.

"It can't be her, she doesn't leave the house" Seth adds to general laughter all around. I keep my head down and keep walking but they catch up with me quickly.

"Hey Demi" calls Niels "tell us again what it's like being the ugly twin"

"Christine tells us you were born with an extra toe" laughs Astrid "Let's have a look"

They all continue to laugh and throw insults as me as I walk down the street home, all except Christine of course, she never insulted me to my face, that's what friends were for after all.

"I'm going home now" she announces to the group of them "I'll see you in the morning" and like that her friends scatter off like rats and after a quick snog from Seth her boyfriend it's just the two of us.

"What you doing with that alcohol" she asks as we walk up the front path.

"Dads home" I reply, I see her face drop.

"Oh" she sighs as I push open the door, the front room is shut off and I can hear some unsavoury noises coming from within.

"I can't deal with this" Christine says "I'm going over to Seth's, tell me when he's gone" and moments after returning home she's gone again. I creep through to the kitchen and leave the bottles on the table and the food in the cupboard, arranging it in a neat straight line. Carefully I make my way upstairs and hide the remainder of our money in a sock under my mattress.

Pulling on my night shirt I lay under my quilt as I listen to the couple next door have make up sex, focussing on those noises to hide the ones from downstairs. I scrunch my eyes closed and curl up in a ball, what was I suppose to do to escape this? This stupid life I'd been given the day mother joined that experiment to give her twins, one of the ones Zippina our mad victor is always talking about. I knew I was the extra kid, the one made in the same image as Christine but with a little bit less of everything. Demi, the insignificant one, the smaller fraction, the disposable one.

**District Five's Hugh Kratis' POV:**

I run the smooth surface of the concrete wall I perch on under my fingers, as I sit outside the labs to wait for my parents to leave work. They were supposed to be using their one day off a week to walk with me to the market to buy me some new shoes, but of course they had to stop by work first.

"We'll only be five minutes" they'd told me "We just have to check on some samples" that was about half an hour ago.

I'd been entertaining myself people watching as I'd perched outside the physical materials lab on a cold concrete wall. I liked to play a game with myself where I decided where people were going to or who they were meeting. Like the woman in the red blouse moving quickly between the crowds of people, she was late for a date, with some important man, maybe a top scientist or even a capitol delegate. She wasn't a prostitute though, just ambitious. She pushes past a short elderly man in a lab coat, I decided he was a chemist, one of the men who created medicines like morphling, he hated his work because the drugs hurt people but did it anyway for the money. He nods politely at a young couple as he walks past them and I decide they are his neighbours, newly married, maybe she had just got pregnant and with the reaping coming up it was probably all she could think about, that day in twelve years time where her child was at risk like the rest of us.

"Hugh!" I look away from the couple to see Alvie my friend and his parents walk up to me.

"Hey Alvie" I smile "Mr and Mrs Berit" I add as a politeness to his parents.

"What are you doing out here?" Alvie's Mom asks.

"Parents are in work" I reply "we're just on our way to the market" I twist my ankle to show the hole in the soles of my shoes "I need new shoes before reaping day"

"We're buying Alvie a new shirt" Mrs Berit replies and Alvie nods enthusiastically

"Vector's really jealous" he laughs "but I told him he can shut up because he's free from the reaping now"

"Vector's old enough to buy his own shirts" adds Mr Berit "We must be getting on Hugh, do you want to join us"

"I was supposed to wait for them here" I sigh "though I am getting rather bored."

"I'll go see what they're up to" offers Mr Berit removing his work pass from his pocket "I'll be five minutes" he says to his wife and he walks up the stairs and inside the building.

"That's what Mom said" I say with a smile and Alvie laughs

"Where's your brothers?" Mrs Berit asks

"At Aunt Tamsyn's" I reply "We're heading over there for dinner later"

After about ten more minutes of small talk where Alvie's Mom asked me questions and I answered Mr Berit and my parents emerge from the lab.

"Oh Hugh, I'm really sorry" Mom says pulling me into a hug which I wriggle free from quickly as Alvie smirks at me.

"I really doesn't matter" I reply as all six of us continue the walk to the market place, Alvie and I walking just out of hearing from the adults who are all discussing whatever miraculous discovery my parents had made in the lab.

"So the reapings coming up" Alvie says after a moment, he always seemed to know the exact wrong thing to say.

"I can't believe the twins are eligible" I reply with a sigh

"I can't believe Vector isn't" he replies "We always had a thing on reaping day where we'd step out of the house at the same time and back into the house at the same time."

"Cute" I reply, though I didn't quite see how they both fit though the door, Vector was a pretty large lad and Alvie though only fourteen like me wasn't exactly small.

"Liam's been practicing fighting" I say quietly

"With who?"

"Smaller kids at school, they sent a letter home with him the other day but I saw him throw it away."

"It's a phase" Alvie says "remember when we turned twelve"

"I never fought anyone" I say

"Yeah but I recall Otis practicing on you" he says, I scowl at the memory, Otis and his pack of cronies had only just stopped picking on me last year when his cousin Baelfire was reaped for the games. I'd never told Alvie about this but I'd found him crying behind the dumpsters as school and he looked like he needed comforting so I'd told him about my own cousin who'd been killed by in the 143rd games when I was only five.

Gabe had been a good contender they'd all said, he was a tall lad, good looking, he'd got a score of eight, but in the end a career killed him off in the bloodbath and history had forgotten his name.

"Otis is alright" I say "as you say it's just a phase"

We reach the market to see it's even busier than the plaza outside the labs was and I say my farewells to Alvie as we head to different sections.

Barely any time later and I had a fresh pair of black shoes on my feet "Don't wear them when you play out" Mom had said "you have you plimsolls for that, these are smart shoes remember"

"Of course" I respond not saying what I was really thinking, these were my just in case shoes, my reaping shoes and in that eventuality they'd be my funeral shoes too.

Dad ruffles my head "Smile it'll probably never happen" he says

"But what if it does" I whisper as Mom is distracted by a stall selling some fruit for a ridiculous amount of money.

"You'll be fine" Dad assures me "Our family has had its share of games tragedy hasn't it, lightning never strikes the same place twice"

I nod as Mom rejoins us, a paper bag in her hands, "I bought some apples" she says with a grin "I couldn't resist them, one for each of us and one for Aunt Tamsyn too of course"

Aunt Tamsyn is Dads sister and was Gabe's Mother, but unlike some of the mothers of tributes she seemed to the outside world to be mostly recovered from her tragedy. When we reach her house she comes to the front door in a neat little piny and with a big grin. "Those boys of yours are getting more boisterous every day Issac" she laughs as she hugs dad.

"They must get that from the same side of the family that made you" he laughs as we walk into her neat little home.

As we sit down at the dinner table I finally find out why my parents were so long in the lab, apparently their experiments had just confirmed that a few simple changes to a rocks atomic makeup can alter its state in barely any time at all. As they talk excitedly about how this could revolutionise building methods and the repairing of our roads, but all I can think of is a hundred and one ways a Gamemaker could use this to hurt a tribute.

**Head Gamemaker Otho White's POV:**

The scene in Five is as usual an austere one, I always found the people of Five far too serious. Which I suppose was a little pot calling kettle black from me, but their just didn't seem to be a smile in the large crowd that drizzly morning.

Like a small fluffy cloud dressed in a woollen coat Cornelius steps up to the microphone which he lowers after the tall mayor steps away. He'd been escorting Ten last year but after a few incidents and clashes with the mentors there I'd quickly swapped him up to Five where the crowd was a bit more forgiving to people who were different.

Cornelius welcomes the crowd with a short speech and moves over to the specially lowered bowls "Boys first" he calls as he draws a name.

"Hugh Kratis" he calls, there is a moment of silence as a boy in shiny new shoes and a smart gray suit steps from the crowd. He seems to be crying and it takes him a moment to stumble up to the stage. As he stands next to Cornelius the tall boy towers over the small man.

"Any volunteers?" asks Cornelius, silence, "Onto the girls then"

He digs a little deeper in the bowl this time before drawing a slip of paper "Christine Quinlan" he calls.

There is a scream of fear from the crowd and the camera zooms over to two identical girls in the crowd, one of whom had shrunk towards the floor as she screamed loudly with fear and horror.

For a moment I assume that to be the reaped girl but after a moment of composing herself the girl beside her steps out of the crowd and onto the stage. She looks nervously over at the crowd as no one volunteers for her, her eyes darting around fearfully.

"Demi" she calls down at the girl "You'll be alright without me, I know"

The pair of tributes shake hands and head into the justice centre as the main feed yet again turns to the studio.

In the two small rooms I watch both tributes closely, I had a good feeling about the girl, she was calm and collected and as her mother was led into the room by her twin sister who still had tears running down her face she remained that way, telling her sister not to waste her life.

A boy came in next and tried to kiss her, Christine pulled away from him though and the two argued a moment about wasting last chances before he stormed out. She didn't look too bothered however, just more determined so by the time the peacekeepers came for her she looked ready to kill.

Meanwhile in the boys room, there had been many tear, many promises and a few useless hints about avoiding the cornucopia unlike some cousin who a quick search told me had died a few years back in the games that Victoria Starr had won.

By the time District Six comes onto the screen I'm already bored of Five, I could see why Syrio used to drink through the reapings, my attention was really starting to wane by now.

_A/N: Blog time, I'm finally ready to show everyone the blog I've been working on to go with this story and you can find it at turningofthetidestributes dot blogspot dot com. Any and all feedback and opinions on it would be greatly appreciated as It's still a work in progress._

_Thanks to __angelofmusic4ever__ for Demi and Christine and __Sparkie Sequins__ for Hugh, hope you guys liked them. (I aged Hugh down a bit, hope you don't mind Sparkie)_


	8. D6 Reapings - Hearing Things

**District Sixes Axel Maloney's POV:**

I'm awoken like most morning with a poke from my sister Alexis and a cold draft as she pulls off my covers. I blink a few times and rub my eyes before focussing up at her.

"Mornin'" I say with a smile.

"There's some porridge on the stove" she says slowly "and Mom says that because Dad is home tonight we're ... station ... eat ... later" I miss a few words at the end of the sentence as she speeds up but the point is clear enough. Dad will be back from working driving in the capitol this evening so we're having a special meal for him, I'm looking forward to it, he always has the funniest stories to tell about the capitol.

"Time?" I ask as I slip my feet out of bed and continue to look up at her mouth as she talks.

"It's only Seven, you have time before work"

"Thanks"

Alexis leaves me to get dressed and I emerge into our kitchen a short period later and take the bowl of porridge from my sister, with a smile I perch at our table and begin to eat. It's a bit rough and chewy but it fills a hole and as I scrape my bowl clean Alexis catches my eye.

"Do you want me to walk with you?" she says slowly.

I shake my head "I'm good. You have school."

"School sucks" she says "I wish I could work like you"

"No you don't"

She just smiles again in reply and gives me a peck on the cheek before disappearing out of the front door, I watch out of the window and see her run off down the street where she manages to catch up with a couple of friends. I love my sister so much for everything she does for me, of course it's not that I'm incapable of making porridge or waking up as the sun rises but sometimes a helping hand is very much appreciated.

Checking my pocket for my key I also head out of the door and lock our little house behind me, before jumping on my bike and heading in the direction of the scrap yard. I wave at a few neighbours and Mr Jeffries waves me over from his wheelchair out the front of his garage.

"Axel" he says as I jump of my bike and wheel it over to me "haven't seen you in a while"

"I've been trying out some new routes to work" I reply

"Avoiding me?"

"Of course not" I laugh, _I've been avoiding your daughter_ I think, _she's gotten so sexy since I used to know her at school as a weedy tomboyish girl. _Ugh I was being stupid though, every guy in the area would want her now and I knew she'd never look twice at a guy like me.

"Aston's missed seeing you" Mr Jeffries says before turning around and calling over his shoulder, _please don't_ I think as his daughter Aston appears from the garage whipping her greasy hands on her overalls.

She says something to her father quickly who I suppose replies but he isn't facing my way "I better be off" I say "I have work"

"Nic to see you Axel." Aston says with a grin, "I've missed you around school lately". I blush, no way did she actually think about me.

"Bye" I reply before jumping on my bike and disappearing around the corner before either of them can say another word to my face. My heart is beating like mad and I can't focus on the road I almost run into an old woman walking along the street. I pull my bike up to a standstill and try to apologise but she's talking so fast and keeps moving her head around so I don't know what she's saying.

"I'm sorry but can you keep your head still" I say

"What!" she cries the first word I've managed to read from her.

"I need to see your mouth" I say "I'm deaf"

She looks taken aback for a moment before scowling at me "then you should be more careful and look where you're going young man"

"I know" I say "I'm sorry"

"You're speech is very good" she tells me and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"My sister helps me" I tell her, I'm about to mention how I'm late for work but she'd begun to talk again. Faster this time, something to do with an uncle or brother or someone, I assume they were deaf or why else would she talk so rapidly about them to me now but I don't get a word of it. I nod as she talks though and when she finally stops I manage to get a word in.

"sorry I almost hit you" I say "But I must be off for work now" I jump on my bike again and cycle away as fast as possible, I'm running late now I can feel it so I speed up and take a short-cut around a couple of dirt tracks away from the main road, arriving in the scrap yard through the back gate I dump my bike and run up to clock in.

The foreman Edom taps his watch as he sees me approaching; I shrug at him and walk past the box of protective head phones into the apparently very noisy disassembly room.

Most of the other guys are already focussed on their tools as they work pulling apart the abandoned motor vehicles from the capitol. So I just step up to my station and start working on the pile of gear boxes that I'd collected the day before. My work is easy and I do it quickly enjoying the small satisfaction I get from removing a particularly tricky wire and tossing it in the correct box.

I notice a shadow coming over my workstation at about midday and look up to see Liber miming eating something, I nod and drop my pliers as I join the other men outside. I like sitting with the grown men I work with, I've always felt I belonged more with grownups than immature kids I knew when I used to go to school who never seemed to grasp that I wasn't really that different from them.

I don't have any lunch to eat but I take a swig from the bottle of cider someone is passing around, looking out to check my bike is where I left it I notice Liber has stood up and is looking angrily down at Saturn who glares back at him.

Liber yells something to Saturn who seems just as angry, but the two men are so animated I can't really figure out what either of them are saying. Other men are getting involved now standing up and joining in the yelling but I only pick up the odd word "bully", "Woman" and a few expletives. Edom steps up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Go" he mouths pointing towards the gate, he mimes running with his fingers too.

I scowl and step past him standing on the side of Liber, I don't know what the fight is about but I'd never really liked the look of Saturn and if there was going to be a rumble I was going to be a part of it. I may be young but my muscles had built over the year I'd worked in the yard were itching to be used in a punch up, I can't help but grin as Saturn throws the first punch at Edom who was now starting to try and defuse the situation. This should be fun.

**District Sixes Porscha Lance's POV:**

Corve is grinning as she finally turns up at Tina's house for rehearsal half an hour late, this of course could only mean that he had a secret to tell.

"What's the gossip?" I ask her

"It's about Vince" she screeches

"What did he say he liked me?" Tina screeches back

"Well not exactly" Corve replies "but Liza said that she heard Miro tell Stamen that in the locker room Vince was talking about a blonde girl he wanted to ask to the dance"

Tina screams and I can't help but laugh "there are a hundred blonde girls in our school" I reply

"Yeah but none of them are as hot as me" Tina says

"True" I reply with a smile

"I wish someone would find me hot" sighs Corve and I laugh

"Plenty of guys like you Corve" I respond "Rutch was all over you just last month till you turned him down."

"He was too skinny" she says "I need a guy with muscles, someone like Dikko Kay"

"Dikko likes Porscha" Tina blurts out "I heard him tell Amil the other day"

"What!" I gasp "you never told me this before"

"Forgot till just now" she replies, I look over to see Corve looking like she was about to get mad at me so I laugh.

"You can have him Corve" I say, remembering the promise the three of us made when we were twelve and Tina suddenly grew boobs to never let a guy get between us "he's too tall for me" I add.

"Good" she replies with a grin, she slips off her coat and throws it on the floor next to ours, "Anyway didn't you say you had a new routine to show us Porscha?"

"Oh yeah" I say remembering "It's something I thought we could show at the dance."

"Great idea" replies Corve, "I bet once Dikko sees me shaking my thing he won't be able to keep his hands off me." She wiggles her hips and Tina and I laugh.

"It's a plan then" I reply "now get that butt over here and let's practice."

Two hours later and I'm hungry and tired and the three of us could do my routine in our sleep, that and Tina's parents were due back from work and she wanted us out so they could have a family dinner.

"See you tomorrow hun" I say as I hug Tina goodbye, Corve does the same and the two of us head down the street away from the 'nice' part of town. Corve detours off a few streets over down to the section where the railroad workers live and I keep on going. Don't get me wrong my house isn't the bottom of the heap but the way mom pays for it, we may as well be.

We live just down from the barracks where the peacekeepers who protect us live and I have to pass several of them just to get home. They smile at me as I pass and I feel the corners of my lips lift in a polite smile. I hate them all really, but keeping up appearances is important to survive, a fact I learnt when I was eight and smart talked one. It was right after my dad died and some spotty faced new recruit was making comments about the state of my District and I flipped out.

Of course it didn't go well for me, some slip of a kid crazy with grief against a six foot something reject career, I still have one of the scars. I've since learnt to keep my mouth shut and a smile on my face.

I arrive home to see Mom painting her face ready for some big 'date' tonight, she's been calling them that since I was ten. I've known the truth since I was thirteen and Anicus one of the peacekeepers who disapproved of 'that sort of thing' told me in all too graphic detail.

"When will you be home?" I ask her.

"Late" she replies "Lock the door after I go okay"

"kay" I reply and leave her alone in the front room, some days I try and be polite to her, but today isn't one of those days.

I perch on my bed and grab a comb from the table beside my bed, looking into my mirror I focus on my hair. I think about my friends and the dance we're working on, maybe if I speed up the second section and if Tina could show me again the move she suggested for the end then it would be perfect. Yes perfect.

**Head Gamemaker Otho White's POV:**

District Six looks rather active I think as the camera spans the crowd, many of the citizens seem to be bouncing around impatiently and I get the feeling they'd much rather be doing whatever jobs they do all day than standing in the District Square as Char Royal does a little bit with the mayor about the train she rode there in.

When she's done she steps up to one of the bowls with a small skip and a dramatic pose to the crowd.

"Boys first" she announces and after digging around to the very bottom of the bowl she removes a slip.

"Axel Maloney" she calls and after a moment of nothing she calls again "Axel Maloney"

A murmur moves around the crowd and finally it becomes clear who the reaped tribute is, a tall boy with dusty blonde hair and a slightly muscular torso. I would say that he would do well but he appears to either be a whimp or a moron who doesn't know his own name.

A few of the boys around him points up at the stage and try to push him up and after a bit of manhandling he's finally up on stage, without a word he grabs the slip from Char's hand and reads it.

"Crap" he mutters.

"Girls then" Sings Char as she steps to the girls bowl, as she digs around dramatically for a moment I keep watching the boy trying to figure him out.

"Porscha Lance" calls Char and the tribute moves quickly this time, stepping onto the stage with her head held high.

As the two shake hands and are led into the justice building I look down at my screen to see the notes on the tributes pop up.

'Deaf since birth' the phrase jumps out at me from under Axels picture, a screen shot taken moments ago up on the stage. I don't remember having a deaf tribute in the games recently but despite his muscles those with disabilities never win.

Porscha has a stronger looking history, dead father but seemingly many friends and an active lifestyle, she was a dancer. Jason Zheng from Eight, one of my favourite victors from the recent years was a dancer too, he was making us good money in the capitol at the moment, and I circled that stat on my pad.

The two tributes have reached their farewell rooms now as Marcellus informs the capitol of the information I'd discovered moments ago about the two tributes. His researchers have found a deaf tribute from the 134th games apparently but she was a bloodbath.

In Six Porscha was hugging her mother and apologising for something and Axel and his sister were talking animatedly, I figure that he must be lip reading but I do find it strange how a deaf kid can talk so well. I guess even I have something to learn from these tributes.

_A/N: Thanks to __zep182__ for both Axel and Porcha, I hope you liked how I wrote them._

_Edit: added reaping scene because I was too impatient and forgot to write it first time around._


	9. D7 Reapings - Futures we'll never have

**District Seven's Amber Haigh's POV:**

My feet dangle over the side of the fence as I watch the little kids stream out of the middle school gates, I had stuff to be doing back at home but I'd promised Taylor I'd walk with her home from school now the nights were getting darker. After the bell rings she's one of the first kids out of the gates and I jump off the fence to stand with her and wait for Aspen to appear at the gates.

"Come on kids" I say as I set off in the direction of home "I want to be home before dark tonight"

"What about Ivy" Taylor gasps, as if I'd just made a grave mistake in forgetting my other sister.

"She's staying behind" I say "she has her extra lessons on Fridays remember"

"Oh yeah" Taylor sighs coming up and taking my hand "I forgot" she still looks nervously over her shoulder as we leave the school grounds.

As we walk home Taylor chatters about her day at school, about the axe practice they had in the morning and the other lessons in the afternoon, I nod as she talks and make appropriate noises but my mind is elsewhere. I know once we get home I'll have to find the three of us something to eat and then I'll need to tend to the garden and heat some water to wash our clothes. Aspen follows behind a few steps, trying to appear too cool to need to walk home with his big sister.

The walk home isn't too bad today as the sun stays up just long enough for us to navigate along the paths, I hope Ivy remembered her torch for the trip home or she might be stuck in the school till morning again like she did during the snow storm last year. Taylor had stayed up all night watching at the window for any sign of her sister. I understand her protectiveness of her big sister completely, she's scared of losing her, just as she almost did two years ago as Nymphaluna frickin' Fay pulled her name from that shiny bowl of hers. Luckily that was the year Picea Stein decided she wanted to prove something to her three older brothers and took her place. She made it to the final four Picea, we really thought she could make it home, but Jute Mallot put a stop to that.

Taylor still struggles with the memory of that day and has become very attached to her big sister while Aspen like me and Dad just moved on and focuses on the day to day. I suppose it's because Taylor is too young to remember that worse things can happen, she was only a baby when Mom died after all.

We've been home long enough for me to cook up some rabbit and green leaves when Dad arrives home, I actually hear him before I see him as he swears loudly.

"I heard that daddy" Taylor gasps as he limps in through the door.

"Sorry sweetie" he says as he perches on a chair, "can't believe I just went over on my ankle like that." He pulls up his trouser leg and begins to rub his ankle.

"You'll be okay for work tomorrow?" I ask him as I look at the ankle; it's a bit swollen but doesn't look broken.

"Sure thing" he replies "I'm always good for work" he smiles as I pass him over a bowl of rabbit stew.

We sit down and eat, as dad shares a story about seeing a deer at work and Taylor tells him the same stories that she told me and Aspen on the way home. Aspen talks about him and his friends and me, I don't really have any stories, I'd spent the day in the paper mill mixing large batches of pulp with Ava and Maple, two sisters I work with.

"You must have done something fun" Taylor says with a sigh, "me and Aspen have told stories"

I think for a moment and have an idea, "Okay so there is one thing" I say with a smile, "It's a good one too" Taylor leans in her eyes opening wide and I begin "Okay so Maple was telling me about what she saw the night before last at work earlier, see her and Ava were walking back to their house and they were taking a back road and they looked into the trees and saw a" I pause dramatically and Taylors eyes seem to widen even further, even Dad looks interested while Aspen just focussed on his stew "a bear!" I exclaim and Taylor jumps back with a scream.

"What a load of bull" Aspen announces

"Language" Dad scolds

"I'm sorry but there are no bears in the district, the fences keep them out" he says "Maple and Ava were lying"

"They are moving the fence at the moment" dad says "rumour is that the whole district is being moved further south, it's too cold up here and the wood grows faster there."

"Would we have to move house then?" asks Taylor "if they move the fence"

"Maybe eventually but it'll take years to shift the district" Dad says as the door opens and Ivy steps through the door and lets a cold blast in through the door.

"Brr it's started to snow again" she says as she turns off her torch and closes the door behind her, she pulls off her boots and steps up to the fire.

"How are you're lessons going sweetie?" dad asks as I stand up to get her some stew

"Good" she replies "Miss Rayner says I should pass all my exams easily"

"And does she think you'll make it into the capitol program?" Dad asks

"I should do, but it's tough, only a few people are taken each year"

"You're a shoe in" I say as I pass her a bowl of stew, Ivy had been studying extra hard for a chance to work in the justice centre in town, they needed good minds to help the capitol run the districts and only the best are ever chosen.

"You're a genius" Taylor gushes "You'll get that job and then in a year or two you'll be mayor I know it"

Ivy laughs and almost spits out her stew "maybe not that soon little sis" she says with a smile "but one day who knows."

Taylor and Ivy continue to laugh and joke with each other as Dad leaves the table to read in his room for a while and Aspen heads outside to weed the vegetable patch, I leave them to their spaces as I wash out the bowls from dinner and tidy the kitchen the best I can. I used the last of the rabbit I caught two days ago for the stew so I know I'll have to be up early to hunt one down before a day at the mill. I yawn and scratch my hair, pulling out a twig as I do so, looks like I'll have to fit a shower in there as well.

"Leave those" Ivy says stepping up behind me at the sink and taking the bowl I was washing from my hands "You cooked I'll clean"

"You've been studying" I say "you need to rest"

"I've been sat on my butt all day" she says "Taylor will help me won't you"

"Of course" Taylor says with a grin as she jumps up and grabs a towel from the side "I'll dry if you wash Ivy"

**District Seven's Lem Davenport's POV:**

"Look" says Thorne as she looks down at me from up her tree "I can see all the way to my house from here, come join me"

"I'm not really a heights person" I reply eliciting loud laughter from up in the tree "I'm not joking" I say defensively.

"It's easy" she yells back "just use the knots as hand holds, you're tall enough to get up to the bottom branch pretty easily and then it's a doddle."

"No" I reply crossing my arms defiantly, as I do so I feel two strong hands on my shoulders.

"You being a wuss again" asks Micah my older brother "You know I was climbing that tree since before I was twelve"

"Yeah and" I reply, Micah just laughs as Thorne climbs down from the tree.

"I'd better be off" she says "it's getting dark. I'll see you tomorrow Lem"

"Yeah see you tomorrow" I reply as she scarpers off down the lane towards her house.

"You're an idiot bro" Micah tells me as we turn and head towards our house.

"What because I wouldn't climb the stupid tree" I say "There are plenty of other jobs for me to do once I leave school"

"No because Thorne obviously has a thing for you."

"Don't lie" I say punching him lightly on the shoulder "You know I used to have a massive crush on her, but she turned me down."

"Yeah when you were nine bro, how old are you now?"

"I'm sixteen Micah." I sigh,

"Then that's plenty of time for her to change her mind" he says "You should totally ask her again."

"What's the big deal with my love life all of a sudden" I ask as we walk through the vegetable patch outside our house "You've never cared before"

"Because life is short and sucky" he sighs "And you should be happy"

I shake my head at him as we step through the front door and I begin to unlace my boots, "You need to calm down" I tell him.

He scratches his head and relaxes his shoulders a little, "You know I don't like this time of year" he sighs.

"The reapings not for a couple more weeks" I reply "You just need to keep calm till then, anyway we've always been safe so far."

"Yes so far, I'm eighteen now, my name is in there as many times as it could possibly be without the tesserae"

"And there are plenty of eighteen year olds with tesserae slips in too" I say "The odds are still pretty low"

"S'pose" he says "Still we're changing the subject, you should ask Thorne out again."

"Maybe"

Micah drops the subject at last and heads up to Dads office to chat to him about something to do with work, Dad is a manager at one of the big lumber mills and Micah works with him too. They're making me finish school first but when I'm done I'll probably end up working there too. When I was sixteen I told Dad I wasn't interested in his lumber mill but he'd just told me of how generations of Davenport men had worked there as Micah had pointed out how useless I'd be as a lumberjack.

I had tried to point out that there were other ways of making a living but it was no use, we weren't a merchant family and I had no skills in carpentry. So off to the mill I was destined to go.

It was all rather depressing when I thought about it, spending the rest of my life in these forests, I was never a fan of the nature that suffocates me regularly, if I spend to long around the damp trees I come out all blotchy with teary eyes and a runny nose. Thorne and my other friend Joel think it's kinda funny, they say I must be allergic to the trees or something.

I'm sitting in the kitchen chopping up some onions for dinner when mom walks in; she yawns as she drops her bag and begins to pull out the plants she's bought from around our section of the district.

"The O'Neils had a great potato crop recently she says, "I managed to get four large ones from them for a good price." I help her pile the vegetables into our ice box and put the onions into the broth I was making.

"Do you want to help me make some nutty bread" she asks as she pulls out a packet of yeast from the bottom of her bag.

"Sure" I reply as I pull out the sack of grain we bought last month and begin to scoop it out into a bowl. As I add the water and yeast and begin to mix, she pulls out a small bag of nuts, and begins to grind them in a pestle. I smile as I watch her grind the nuts, I really love these little moments of life and I do really want to have someone to share them with when I leave home, Thorne never struck me as a baking kinda girl but I know she'd be happy to go and gather the nuts high up in the trees. I smile as I think of her laugh and the way she lightly jumps up trees like a squirrel or something, gah, I was getting another crush on her wasn't I?

**Head Gamemaker Otho White's POV:**

The tall green trees of Seven stretch out in our next shot as the camera swoops down dramatically onto a busy District square. The people look relaxed as Nymphaluna dances around the stage for a moment as she welcomes the crowd. Syrio always had a thing for Nymph, he admitted it to me one drunken evening a few months ago and I could see why. Long thin legs stretch upwards to a stick thin body that's draped in a little green dress, topped off with a head of peach pink hair that she's pinned in a neat little bun. You'd have to be blind not to appreciate that beauty, but I didn't feel that way towards her, or any other woman, or man for that matter.

But that wasn't important, what was important was who the two young people Nymph would be pulling from her little glass bowls were and how they would fare in the arena.

"Ladies first" she announces as she grabs a slip from the middle of the bowl "Amber Haigh" she grins out to the crowd where after a moment of shuffling a girl steps out of the crowd, the first thing I notice about her is her bright red hair, she also looks pretty fit and not overly skinny. She talks small little steps to the stage and it feels like an eternity till she's finally up there with Nymphaluna who asks for volunteers.

"Boys then" she says when the wind answers her call.

Amber fiddles with a locket around her neck as Nymph steps up to the boys bowl and grabs a name from around the middle.

"Lem Davenport"

Shocked gasps come from a couple of places in the crowd and the camera pans past a shaking older boy before settling on a younger boy who must be his brother. He looks tall but isn't very strong looking, walking up to stage with a mouth open in shock, he doesn't get replaced by a volunteer and shakes hands with the female tribute before the camera cuts out.

I turn to watch the goodbyes but don't get much of use from them, just weeping siblings, parents attempting to stay strong and the odd friend. The boy does admit his feelings for a girl who comes to visit him who responds by shouting at him that he should have said so earlier and he was 'a fool who better not die on me'.

_A/N: thanks to __WishMakerDeluxe__ for Amber and __RealFiction__ for Lem, I've tried to stay as true to their descriptions as possible, hope you like them._


End file.
